By Angelica Bottaro
Studying for your teacher certification test can be a challenging experience. You want to pass. But you also want to gain enough knowledge to take your passion for teaching others and turn it into a career. As many prospective teachers know, that level of pressure can be hard to cope with. When that stress takes over, it also makes it harder to focus on studying and learning new material in the course, putting you in a catch-22 situation. You want to do well, so you stress. But you stress, making it harder to do well. It’s enough to make a person go crazy.
That said, studying for and passing your teacher certification test doesn’t have to be such a harrowing experience. The best thing you can do for yourself when going for teaching gold is to find the best course with the right organization. That way, you’ll have all the support and material you need to ensure you not only pass but also knock it out of the park.
Figuring out Your Desired Teaching Level
Before applying for your teacher certification exam, the first thing to consider is deciding what type of certification you want to pursue. Will you focus on younger kids in pre-K to grade 3, or are you leaning more toward teaching older students in secondary education?
You may want to teach English as a second language abroad to expand your horizons while improving your craft. The choice is yours to make, but before you do, try creating a pros and cons list for each teaching level option. That way, you’ll see where your heart lies before proceeding with the certification.
Things to Consider When Preparing
Once you have decided, there are a few facets of the teacher certification exam that you may need to consider before you head to the testing center. The first is your study process. No two people are alike, and neither are their study habits. That’s why finding out which works best for you is essential. To do so, you can ask yourself these questions:
- What type of learner am I?
- How is my ability to memorize facts?
- Am I better (or worse) at essay questions than multiple choice or true and false?
- How much time can I dedicate to studying outside of my other obligations?
Once you’ve ironed out how to best retain the information required to pass a teacher certification exam, you’ll know exactly how to approach it.
Tricks to Make Studying a Breeze
Once you’re ready to crack open the course material, you can dive right in. But before you do, you should envision a plan for your studying. First, iron out the times that you will be studying. Put them on your to-do list or calendar and stick to them.
You must treat studying as an obligation like you would when having to be at work at a specific time. Scheduling your study time ensures that it doesn’t accidentally drop to the bottom of the priority list.
Other tricks that can help further your chances of success include:
- Knowing What’s On The Test: Many testing companies will provide enough information about what will be on the test, allowing you to put your focus exactly where it needs to be. It’s important to note that most tests will be split into sections, and you can use the same process while studying.
- Take Advantage Of Practice Tests: If your teacher certification company offers free prep and practice test materials, take advantage! These pre-exam tests can help you test your knowledge throughout the course so that you know where to focus more as the clock winds down to test time.
- Time Your Practice Tests: Over the course of your studying, time yourself in different phases. This can make it easier to determine how long you will take compared to the time you will be given to take the test. Timing yourself can also transform studying into a fun little competition against yourself, motivating you to keep pushing forward.
- Take Advantage of Your Learning Style: If you learn visually, try drawing up flashcards with imagery associated with the answers to specific questions. That way, you can learn the course material in your own way. Whatever your learning style, play to it while studying, and you’ll be surprised at how much better you retain the information.
- Give Yourself a Timeline: For each module in the course material, give yourself a timeline. That way, you won’t spend too much time on one section while completely ignoring another. One to two weeks before the exam, begin reviewing all the information so you can pull focus to your weaker areas with ample time before the exam.
- Get a Study Partner: If you know someone else going for the exam, plan to pick a day each week to study together. That way, you can bounce ideas off one another while learning the course material. If you’re weaker in one area, they may be able to clarify something for you and vice versa.
- Utilize Support: Some teacher certification companies will provide you with support systems, such as on-call test and material assistance. If you have that available to you, use it! Even if you think it’s a stupid question, ask it anyway. There is no wrong way to utilize a support system that’s specifically there to help you pass your teacher certification exam.
Studying can be challenging but approaching it most effectively and productively can make it much more manageable.
Benefits of Taking the Course with Klassroom
If you’re looking for a company that provides many benefits to prospective teachers, it will be worth your time to explore Klassroom. While we may be biased, we know what we offer is unmatched in the industry
For example, our fast-track program allows you to become an accredited and state-approved teacher in less than a year. That timeline may seem quick, but it’s designed to shorten the time you spend preparing for your new career by getting you in the teacher’s seat quicker.
The program offered by Klassroom also provides 1-on-1 support with a team of admission advisors, mentors, and preparation coordinators. You don’t have to take the journey alone. The flexible hybrid learning environment, with a mix of online core curriculum and in-person placements, ensures that you get the most out of your learning experience in a way that prepares you for the real world of teaching.
The cohorts are small and explicitly designed to ensure that each person participating has equal access to the attention they need while learning how to become the best teacher they can possibly be.
Finding a Teaching Job
So, you’ve passed your teacher certification test. Now what? You must find a job. It can be hard to know where to begin. You don’t want to lose the momentum of passing the exam, but it’s essential to look towards the future once the exam is over. You’re officially certified, and now you can teach anywhere you want.
That said, it’s not easy to find a teaching job, locally or abroad. That is where Klassroom comes in. Instead of scanning job board after job board, Klassroom’s teaching job support and job fairs allow prospective teachers to see what’s out there, apply for jobs, and figure out where they see themselves teaching.
Many people may choose to teach abroad. With other teaching pathways, such as Teach Away, people who go through the certification with Klassroom also have access to different journeys toward teaching regardless of where in the world they’re looking.
Once you have found your calling of teaching, it’s crucial to honor yourself and become the best teacher you can be. Starting by acing the exam with the right course program and finding the perfect-fit job is the best way to do that.